In the 1970’s I was a
member of the Futurist Society. Futurists predict the future based on
what is deemed the best verifiable evidence logically extrapolated. Being relatively young and inexperienced I
accepted their pronouncements at face value, since the authors of the pieces they published had studied and accurately researched (I believed) the topics at depth. I looked forward to each
issue of their magazine for one particular writer's articles which were always well written and
interesting. The new issue arrived and I attempted to read some of the
other articles first, a small stab at delayed gratification, but soon
turned to my favorite and with a
smile began reading. When finished, I felt a bit unsettled. I
couldn’t put my finger on it but it troubled me. So after
about a week I went to the library to do some research. Firing up the
microfiche (remember microfiche and cabinets filled with microfilm) I
located the statistics I was looking for and identified the problem. The
author had reversed the statistics that supported his position! I felt
relieved and a little proud. I reasoned that some underling had provided
the statistics to the author incorrectly and a correction would be forth
coming. However the next issue arrived and nothing was mentioned. I surmised
that by the time he became aware it was too late for this issue but
would certainly be in the next. Well he did address it in the next
issue. The response was one of the most over the top, vitriolic pieces
of junk I, to this day, have ever read. Not only did he defend his
position and facts, anyone who disagreed with him was an idiot! I was
left stunned and breathless. I rechecked the facts to see if I misread
them. Nope. The sacred cow of blind trust died for me that day.
Sacred cows are everywhere. Many are inherited, some
quietly strolled in and we have not bothered to do the work to turn them
out, usually because if we do we are afraid of what we will find when
they are gone, since sacred cows, like all bovines, are notoriously poor house keepers. We
must not be afraid to ask questions and seek the truth, since:
the truth will set you free. So trust, but verify.
I didn’t renew my membership in the Futurists Society. Looking back,
one of their predictions for 2000 (then 25+ years in the future) was
that if we didn’t act immediately the world was about to be plunged
into a new ice age, for places like Chicago winter would be year round, beyond any doubt, no further discussion required, the
science settled. All the top climatologists said so. Beware those cows.
© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit
All Rights Reserved
The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity,
Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Pope Francis,
Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path
